*Clasificados Online has their website in Spanish and English on the same page as opposed to a Spanish version and an English version of the site.

*Compra o Alquila is fully in Spanish, so what I recommend if you don’t know any Spanish is to use the Internet browser “Chrome” by Google. That browser has a translate tool that will translate the website for you into English. It is not always perfect but more often than not it is actually very good.

One important thing you should know about renting an apartment in Puerto Rico is that you will be renting directly with the landlord, let me explain. You may see an apartment complex with several buildings, most of them are what we call “walk-up” apartments because there is no elevator (Don’t worry, they normally are no more than 3 floors up). But what happens is that there is no central office where you go pay rent, get the packages they held for you while you were out, or where you go to make a maintenance request.

Each individual apartment is owned by someone who had the intentions of renting the apartment as an investment. Some of my friends have had really good luck with their landlord and some have had terrible luck. I actually have a friend who is a landlord to an apartment in Isla Verde (Section in San Juan in front of the beach), and he tells me that some landlords rent their apartments and give the renter the option to buy it, also the amenities included vary widely, some landlords include cable, water, etc. while others include nothing.

So unfortunately, this is truly hit or miss with a landlord, so make sure you get to know the person before you rent an apartment, I have heard some really bad stories about really bad landlords.

I know a few Real Estate agents as well as apartment landlords who speak English, let me know if you would like me to assist you and put you in contact with any of them.

180 Comments

Hey Jay ,
What are island reputable mortgage companies? I just don’t want to float my information around to any company. But I will be visiting in August for 3 weeks and want to establish somethings while i’m there as well as locate a realtor and mortgage company. Do you know of any that also work with clients who speak majority English. I know some Spanglish( I’m from LA) but its definitely rusty i’m trying to brush up on things as we speak.

Well, interestingly we are working on looking for a mortgage company ourselves. Banco Popular has English speaking employees, we are actually working with Money House which don’t have as many English speakers but the manager does speak English so we get to do everything through the manager. However, your best bet is with Pentagon Federal Credit Union, if we had the income/credit etc that they require we would’ve gone with them since Pentagon Federal have better rates.

Hi! I’m so happy to have found your blog! My family is relocating to PR in September, after a few visits we found that we would really love to move to the West Coast, mostly Rincon. We are having some trouble finding a home to rent in that area via the sites that we have to use. I’ve been searching all the ones you mentioned for that past few months with no luck. I’ve finally resulted to searching vacation rental properties and have lined up to see a few that agree to long term leasing, however we would like to be able to see more while we are visiting June 20 – 27 before we make a decision on where we are going to live. Do you have any other suggestions on where to look or maybe who to contact? Thanks so much!

Honestly for Rincón you can look at compraoalquila.com or actually just asking around while you are there. I’ve heard many people say that they didn’t find anything online but they did just driving around and finding “for rent” signs.

So clasificadosonline didn’t work? There’s also clasificados.pr if you want to try that one too.

Good day! I’m gong to San Juan only for a month in the beginning of 2018 with family, is it possible to find an apartment for only one month near the beach? Could you pls advise something? Many thanks.

Have you looked into vacation rentals 411? I have a fried who used to rent is apartment in Pine Grove (Isla Verde) for monthly rentals. Like him there are others in Pine Grove who rent monthly as well. Check with them, if that site is not helpful there’s always VRBO, AirBnB etc. Let me know if none of those help.

(Continuation) – I was born in Santurce but raised in New York. The first time I went to my island I fell in love with it. Eighteen years ago I was ready to relocate and my trip was interrupted by court order (long story). After sixty years here I am ready to go back and spend my last years in my beautiful island. I want to live in the San Juan Metro area and have been looking in the classifieds of El Nuevo Dia. I see apartments that I can afford with light and water included. Most likely for August 1st if not before I will be relocating. Any advise that you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Condado and Isla Verde would serve most of your needs but it can get expensive so you have to look hard, Condado is better. Otherwise Miramar in San Juan is a good choice. There are different places in Guaynabo and Bayamon that MAY have what you need but they will likely not be that close to grocery stores, and it won’t be close to the beach, which is nicer than many people realize.

If you see an ad you like on clasificados online, I suggest you call and ask if it is close to grocery stores etc.

Hi Jay, I am most likely relocating soon to the metro area of my island and am thinking of Bayamon. I am on Social Security and will pay $400 to $475 for an apartment. I live in New York City where everything I need is close to me – supermarkets, pharmacies, all kinds of stores. Since I don’t drive I just take my pulley whenever I am going to buy lots of stuff. I was told that los carros publicos don’t allow packages in the cars. How do the people that don’t drive and don’t live close to the supermarkets do their shopping? Can you suggest an area in Bayamon that is close to almost everything I would need? Thank you.

Bayamon? That’s a hard one. Any chance of Isla Verde or Condado? Although $400 to $475 on an appt there would be a stretch, unlike Bayamon, Condado and Isla Verde does have many things close to by. Miramar area is also a good choice. I know people that don’t have cars and they just walk to the supermarket or take the bus, the problem is that the bus service is not very reliable, many people are using Uber now.

I am in the same situation. I got to San Juan a few days ago. I am moving here and get $1150 in benefits monthly. I want the San Juan area. I have a couple leads but I only have my savings and can only pay $900 now. Any suggestions?

Hi I am curious about moving to Puerto Rico. I do not drive and will not be looking to drive either. I just want to know someone safe places that I could use público or even the trains. I do speak Spanish. I am trying to become an interpreter. So any suggestions

Unfortunately, Puerto Rico is not known for its amazing public transit. I know very few people without cars and they do struggle because of it. They depend on public transit occasionally but they can’t depend on it, which means that they can’t depend on reliable and on time buses. The train goes to very few places. If I were you I’d look to live in a place like Condado, Isla Verde or similar because they are very walkable, you have nearby grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, etc. Old San Juan is ok, but it is well…old so the buildings are old and many of them don’t have simple things like an elevator or A/C, however if that doesn’t bother you, there is actually lots to do in Old San Juan.

Hey there! I’m so thankful for your blog! My husband just got hired by Tradewind Aviation and we will be moving to the San Juan area within a couple of months. He will be flying out of TJSJ and will be required to live within about 15 minutes from there. I’m working on calculating our living expenses as we will be not making much money (34-38k/year but US taxed). We also have a 7 year old son. What I’m trying to figure out is with the cost of living (food, electricity, water, etc) how much we can realistically spend per month in rent. It will need to be a furnished apt. Any help or guidance you can give would be greatly appreciated!!! Also if you know of any great rentals in that area I’d be interested! Thank you so much for taking the time to help a bunch of strangers!!

Well that’s cool! I actually happen to know a thing or two about aviation, and buy a thing or two I mean more than the average person! I have friends in the FAA and in the TJSJ control tower! That’s awesome!

Well, will you be generating income? Or will it be your husband only? I ask because if you will stay home I highly recommend homeschooling your 7-year old son. There are public schools in the San Juan area but honestly none that I would recommend. If you are at all interested in homescholing, please read our post on Homeschooling in Puerto Rico.

Cost of living can be high but not necessarily. Basically the services and insurances are generally cheaper than the US but goods and foods are more expensive (Good news though, Bacardi rum is cheaper here and good Sangría is fairly cheap too, but don’t waste your money on Bacardi, DonQ rum is another local rum and is better than Bacardi!)

We also have a page on the Cost of Living in Puerto Rico which should give you a good idea, however it is highly dependent on your lifestyle. To give you some quick numbers, you could expect to pay about $150-175 on electricity assuming you turn on the A/C at night and watch some TV, about $25-35 on water, Cable/Internet/Phone triple pack $80-120 depending on how many channels and internet speed. A Gallon of milk costs just under $6! It does taste a lot better than the milk I had in the US and it doesn’t have that weird Rbst chemical people talk about in documentaries, here’s the law on it if you wish to read it, it’s in Spanish though.

If you are taxed in the US but you have to file taxes here in PR you are entitled to the Foreign Income Tax Credit on form 1116. Which will almost guarantee that you will get all of your federal income tax back since the local income tax is pretty high.

Rent could be expensive or not, it depends on your needs, if you’re looking for a condo in a nearby building you could be looking at 600-800 per month, look on clasificados online or compraoalquila and contact the agents of the apartments or condos you like. If I were you I’d get one with a view to the airport if you can! I’d love to be able to sit in the balcomy and stare at airplanes!

Thanks so much for your response! So fun that you know aviation! I actually already homeschool our son so I will continue to do so in PR. The condos/apartments I’m seeing are all $1100 plus for furnished. I’m hoping people negotiate that down some like we do in the US?! Great info on the tax credit! Thank you again! Any real estate agents you recommend? I think I will need to make a trip down to look at and secure an apartment before the final move.

Hello, well people here do negotiate prices, but if you’re only finding $1100 or more then you are looking in the really expensive areas, which is probably the type of place that you want to live in but unfortunately many places near the airport are expensive but there are some cheaper ones, they’re just not as nice as one would like. You can get much more affordable rent outside of the metro, but you have that 15-minute limitation which is a huge bummer.

I can send you the number of an agent, maybe she has something. But I suggest you keep looking online, the term “Amueblado” means furnished so take a look!

Hi me & my family are planing to move in the next 6mths my wife is concerned about her profession she is a nurse pratacior she was wondering about the job market for her profession where could she find out more info about her profession in pr thanks!!

Nurse practitioners are not as common here as they are in the US. I remember that at times the nurse practitioner could even write prescriptions in the US, well that’s not the case here. I honestly am not extremely familiar with the market because I don’t even know a single nurse practitioner. However, we have some really big hospitals and also colleges and universities that provide the education for it, so if I were you I would contact a university, like the Universidad Interamericana recinto Metro, which has a nursing program, and ask them about the job market etc.

I’m moving to San Juan probably in Santurce neighborhood in November…. can you tell me some cheap studios I could move into right off the plane….i will only have my savings with me so not trying to get a hotel

I love your site! I am preparing to move to Puerto Rico at the end of the month with my children and I am a bit nervous! We are trying to find a realtor that may help us and also a little curious about rental requirements there. I have no prior evictions and make about 5-6k per month (which will be the same when i move). My credit is around a 660 score as of today! Any idea who may be able to help me find a place!?

I agree, I’ve been to Loíza and found a nice complex with nice apartments. However, the mosquitoes were TERRIBLE!!! I have NEVER been in a place with so many mosquitoes! It really ruined my experience as I couldn’t even go to the pool without the mosquitoes biting my face which was the only part of me that was above water. I could’ve been the time of year, which was in November of last year. Apart from the mosquitoes, it was nice!

I will be attending the UPR medical school in August and I’m looking for a place in San Juan (as close as possible to the school itself). I have been looking at places in the areas of Rio Piedras and Hato Rey. If anyone has any suggestions, they will be much appreciated!

Casually speaking with someone I found out of an affordable apartment about to be finished and very very close to the Medical Center. I remembered you were looking for something close so I will be emailing you the phone number of the owner of the apt.

Hello,
Thank you for writing this blog! My wife and I have found it to be extremely informative and straightforward, and we are wondering if you can recommend a real estate agent for our move in December?

have enjoyed reading your site very much. i am kicking around the idea of moving to PR. i am 61 and on social security and was wondering about the feasibility?

i am kinda worried about the rental fees for a small 2 bedroom house. i don’t need to be right smack on top of the beach, but easy walking distance would be high on my list, my knees aren’t the greatest. i sure don’t want fancy either! i don’t want san jaun!! i would prefer a much smaller town, maybe rural and slower paced.

is it a pipe dream for someone who doesn’t have a large monthly income?

If Puerto Rico were a state, we would be the state with the lowest income average!

Things are expensive here and it really depends on how much is your social security check. If you don’t want San Juan, but still like the beach you may want to consider a place like Ceiba on the eastern side. There are also smaller areas with a very slow pace like Cabo Rojo in the southwest section. The problem is that the closer it gets to the beach the more expensive it gets. But if I were you I’d look in the east and south coastal municipalities. Ponce is nice too. I don’t think it is a pipe dream but it really depends on how much you get on your check. Look online for places to live in those municipalities, they’re usually not too expensive.

Hey Jay.. just wanted to say that I really enjoy your blogs.. you have a very positive and fresh attitude that is very much appreciated. I just moved to PR in June from Ohio and my girlfriend & I are looking to sell her apartment and move to a house for living / business. We are massage therapists and would like to work from home. Unfortunately, she has no idea how realtors operate in PR, and I am unsure if they operate similar to the states. Classificadosonline is a mess, and I’m not sure if Zillow is the most up to date place to go for listings. I saw you mention the relative nature of ‘quiet.’ Oh my God, is that true.. the barking dogs and proximity to others is killing me. I would love a quiet area, but near the city (clients, of course). In Ohio, we had a ‘hippie’ town… like San Francisco.. love, peace and all that .. is was pretty cool.. I was wondering if there was such a magical place in PR? But anyway, Appreciate the great work you do… wish there were more like you.. and If you could point us to a trusted real estate agent, I would be greatly appreciative.

Well I’m glad to see you 2 are massage therapists! I worked as a massage therapist for a few years in the states before moving here! The requirements to be a massage therapist (legally) are different and more strict than the ones I have, so even though I am nationally certified I am unable to be hired at a spa or other to practice massage therapy :-\

I have yet to find a good massage therapist so maybe that’ll change soon!! =)

As far as your question on where to go, honestly I can’t think of anywhere other than maybe Rincón. Rincón has a lot of tourists, it is much quieter than San Juan. However it’s not to say that it is a quiet place, it is just not as loud. There are also lots of English-Speaking people in that area. I wouldn’t consider it a hippie town but I don’t think there are any cities here that would fit that description, Rincón might be the one that gets the closest to that and I don’t think it’s there anyway. However if you don’t like to be too close to others I don’t think any area with a decent population would work for you, unless you go to the mountains you will be close to others, we are a very densely populated island. Oh and just about everyone has at least one dog! (I have 2! LOL)

Clasificados online is a mess, it does have a lot going on, Zillow is limited since not very many people use it. But if I were you I would consider the NW part of the island, in particular the town of Rincón, but if the most important thing for you is the number of potential clients then San Juan it is, just be prepared for a very very dense population. I have mixed feelings about San Juan, sometimes I feel it’s the best area in PR and sometimes I feel it is the worst area.

If you want a Realtor, just call the agent in the listing you found online, usually they have other listings that may interest you. I do know of one agent in the NW part of the island but he is in Isabela, not quite Rincón.

Well I honestly don’t know too much about Ocean Sixteen other than the fact that it is expensive! LOL It is in an area with a nice beach and where other really nice and expensive hotels are nearby. I drove past that area once on my way to another apartment and I remember it being super nice, sort of a “someday when I win the lottery” type of thing. That area overall is very nice with simple access to San Juan (if you use the freeway with tolls, route 66) while being removed from all the hustle and bustle of the “big” city.

If I could afford it, I would definitely consider living there, that’s assuming the administration of the complex is as nice as one would expect paying that amount of money.

If you have to travel to San Juan every day for work, you may encounter traffic, sometimes really bad traffic depending on the time.

Our family may be relocating to Aguadilla. We know nothing about Puerto Rico and none of us speak Spanish. What areas of Aguadilla are the best/safest? We have a 5 1/2 year old and a 7 year old. We could buy or rent. Can you recommend a real estate agent that is fluent in English? I am a real estate agent stateside…but I do not speak Spanish. Any tips…any help at all would be most appreciated.

We have been very fortunate with our landlord and the owners of the home we’re renting. We moved here just over a month ago with the military and began searching. We saw a few different realtors, but the one we spoke with initially was very consistent, stayed in touch with us all the way through, and was able to find us just what we were looking for, only about 20 minutes from base. He went through another broker, but he worked really hard in helping us. The owners are great people also.

Hi Jay,
Great info. I have been living and working in PR for a while. I have been staying with friends. I am looking for an apartment in the San Juan Area. I am having a little trouble since I don’t speak Spanish very well yet. Could you refer me to a Realtor that speaks English?

I’m considering moving back to PR next year to be near my aging parents. Have been monitoring the rentals in the “Clasificados Online” and I’m surprised not to see more inventory. I’m interested in the Condado or Old San Juan area , a full service building, security is very important. I have friends that suggested to look at Capitolio Plaza or Atlantis, but there’re just a handful of listed furnished apartments. Any other resource I should consult? If you have a name of a realtor you recommend for these areas I would very much appreciate if you could provide it. I’ll be in PR next week and maybe I could take the opportunity to look around some. Thanks

Thanks for your response. I just got back from PR , had a chance to visit a friend who lives at Atlantis and I loved her apartment. Amazing views toward Old San Juan, ocean and bay.
Not sure if you had a chance to send me the email, if you did I never got it. Could you resend? I’ll be going back in January and at that time will need to get serious to vet some of these locations as I’ll need an apt 6/1. Thanks for your help!

You know, just yesterday I was thinking that I hadn’t emailed someone regarding the apartments! LOL Thank you for reminding me! I will email you right now, let me know if the agents work for you or not.

Atlantis is very nice, I like it a lot, if that’s where you would like to rent I suggest you tell the agent right away, he/she may ask you to look at other places, which maybe you should do, but if your heart is set on the Atlantis building, check online and contact the person offering the condo for rent directly.

Hi Jay. My boyfriend and I will be moving to PR next year around the beginning of march. He got a job down in Ponce so we are already looking for places to rent. We have no idea if we should get something in Ponce or the cities around it. We would like to contact any of the landlords that you know since we do not want to have a bad experience when we go there. Anything helps!! thanks!

Well, if I were you I’d start searching on Clasificadosonline.com or compraoalquila.com. There’s also clasificados.pr and zillow.com Start searching online and get a feel for the cost of apartments and houses in the area. Ponce is actually a nice town and so are the town around it. The only problem is that that area is rather dry and hot, other than that it is nice.

Thank you for the information! Your website has been very helpful as my husband and I prepare for our move to San Juan, PR in January of next year (2016). We are looking for rental properties in the San Juan area. Ideally, we would like to secure an apartment before we get there. We also plan to buy a property in Puerto Rico once we get settled into the area. Can you connect me with one of your trusted real estate agents?

I worked in hotels my whole like. I eventually want to open my own B&B, but for now I want to rent 4-5 bedroom house, live in one and rent the rest out to tourists.
I was looking in Dorado….
Honestly, I would love to partner with someone local who would share my idea.

The B&B is a good idea. We have what we call “guest houses” across different sections in PR. Study the market in Dorado, you may find something and someone with the money to do so! I’ve actually thought of the whole B&B myself, but my capital is much less than zero! However, I feel there is a market for it, not so sure about Dorado though, it’s pretty far from many of the tourist-y areas, but there are some nice hotels there so there should be some sort of market in that area.

My two biggest issues are finding a good location and my less than functional Spanish skills.
My spanish has gotten horrible since moving away from home and I am curious if it is wiser to live in San Juan for a period.

Ideally, I think I would prefer Ponce; due to the slower pace and more affordable accommodations.

Do you foresee language as a significant issue for me that you would recommend moving to San Juan first?

Do you think the prices advertised on the website are intended to upsell more affluent gringos?

-You will have more opportunities to practice Spanish and you will get better at it over time. If you move to San Juan first people will speak to you in English as soon as they notice your accent. You will likely practice little to no Spanish in San Juan, so your main purpose for living in San Juan first will not work out as you wanted, especially in the tourist-y areas, where just about everyone is bilingual and it is simply much easier to speak English than Spanish to a non-native Spanish Speaker.

-The prices advertised are always negotiable. This is not a gringo thing, the main market is not the tourists or the affluent, some areas are just expensive and they advertise according to what other people are advertising. You can negotiate the price depending on how desperate the landlord is. In fact I have a new co-worker that came from the Midwest and he negotiated $200 off the monthly rental price on his new house, he actually got a really good deal. So shop around and try to negotiate if you feel you can.

Knowing what I know I’d go straight to Ponce. Yes there may be some initial struggle while I polish my Spanish but after that it should be fine.

Hi Jay! I am so thankful that I came across your website. I am moving from Asia to Puerto Rico for work. I am looking for an apartment to rent long term (3 years) in Ponce, tried the links above but no luck. I am wondering if you have any good property agents to recommend. I don’t speak Spanish, so an English speaking one will be good!

Hi Jay, the links work fine but it seems there isn’t many choices. So I am kind of stuck here. Myself and 2 colleagues will be working in Ponce from Dec15/Jan16 onwards, so we are looking for 3 separate apartments, ideally 2 bedrooms. I truly appreciate your help so much.

All of this information is very helpful and I will continue to look over it as I make my decision. I’ve recently hit a road block in my life and really just want to move out of the US and experience a more calm, and tranquil life. I’m 34 years old, restricted by the inability to have get a passport, hence PR, and want to find work before I move down there. I have approx. 6 months of savings to live on and really would like to use that to secure an apt and have a job somewhat locked in by Oct.1st, 2015.

It really depends on your skills, what set of skills do you have? Then search for a job either on clasificadosonline.com or the department of labor in PR as they post job openings on a monthly basis. Also, do you know Spanish? Not knowing Spanish will really hurt your chances of getting a job. I posted a link to the latest job openings post by the department of labor in our facebook page.

As far as apartments, search online on the links I posted in this post and call around to the person that posted the listing. That’s what I would do.

Thanks for helping so many people out! I’m looking for a 2bdr apartment close to the beach and was thinking condado so I wouldn’t be too far from central medico where I will be going to school. Got any real estate agents that you could recommend? Thanks.

Hi Jay! Great website! I just moved to PR with my bf and we are starting to look for apartments… How strict are buildings in ocean park\condado\miramar with credit checks? Our credit is decent but we both format students who have some out standing debt. We are coming from NYC where they are extremely selective about who can get an apartment and there is a huge emphasis on glowing credit. We have enough money to pay a few months of rent up front if need be. I’m just curious where we should look that’s close to the beach and condado where we will be working? Thanks so much!

The truth is that for the most part, if you are renting, the landlord of the condo decides if you are worthy. When I lived in the states, I rented from a big apartment complex, but that’s not the norm here. Usually you have a complex or a building and the apartments or condos are independently owned, so you will rent from someone independent, not the building or the complex.

Not always the case, but it usually is.

Normally there is a rental history check or something but I would think you will be ok. I can’t imagine it being too difficult to find apartments.

Have you searched on clasificadosonline.com? I can give you the phone number of a Realtor that can help you find apartments in the Condado area if you want.

I am hoping to relocate to PR yet this summer and have many questions! :o) I am hoping that you can give me some advice!

I am an adult student taking online classes and will not be looking for a job in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, I do not speak Spanish, but am willing to learn. I am a mature single female with no children or pets to consider. Can you recommend some areas to live on the island that might be good for me? My situation/requirements are:

SAFE!!
Rent <= $600/month all inclusive
Some activities, but needn't be a hot spot, beach access is good.
Ability to get to a dept. of Labor office occasionally

In the states, it is common to find house sharing (roommate) situations that are reasonably safe. Is roommates common living arrangement in PR? Are there good families that would take in a single female temporarily (with compensation of course) until I figured out a more permanent living situation?

I am just looking for a pleasant, safe place to study and experience Puerto Rico. Can you email me advice? Thank you so much for doing this work!

Well, have you searched on clasificadosonline.com? The hard part is finding an apartment with everything included for $600. When you say that you mean also all utilities? With how expensive the electricity is here it would take a quite a bit of searching around. I would normally recommend Condado or Isla Verde, but you may like Old San Juan? Apartments there are very old though. Read the post I wrote about living in Old San Juan.

Would you consider living “in the country”? Places like Lajas which are way out of the metro but it is very calm and quite beautiful, very close to some of the best beaches. hard to be there without a car though. But if I were to move out of the metro I would really look that way. Housing is cheaper down that way too. I mean you can probably find something in your budget in the San Juan metro, but it might not be very nice, simply because housing is much more expensive in the San Juan area compared to the other areas outside of the metro. Also, the further out of the metro you go, the more difficult it is to find people who speak English (with the exception of the municipality of Rincon).

I would search Craigslist for roommates, it is not as common as in the states here, but some people do ask for roommates here, especially students. One place that sometimes has listings for roommates is Metroroommates.com

The car situation really depends on how mobile you need to be. Personally I wouldn’t be without a car, the public transportation here is not as good as I would prefer. However i do know a few people that live without a car, although it is a struggle, they make it work.

Feel free to email me if you would like to share your specific needs, either on the webmaster account or on our Facebook page. I’ll try to help you as best as I can.

Hello Jay!
Thank you for the lengthy and informative reply. You and G have helped immensely, giving that bit of insight that I needed to get moving along. I think I might ship my car, even though it’s not an expensive car, it is reliable and in good shape. I saw it costs about $1200 to ship from Florida. I suspect I can’t buy a car there for any less than in the lower 48. So, am tempted to hold onto mine. Are there other factors I should be considering in this decision that I am overlooking?

I am partial to living away from the city, and visiting the city on holiday! I might take G’s suggestion and look into the Rincon area, if I can be assured of internet access.

Thanks for all the living arrangement advice. I am sure I will find the perfect spot with all the help I have been given!

One thing is that you have to pay import taxes once your car is shipped here, plus all the other fees of getting your car registered. You can see an estimate of how much your import tax would be in this Departamento de Hacienda link. (It may take a while to load) But to give you an example, I have a 2002 Toyota Camry (LE) and the import tax (known as Arbitrio) would be roughly $780. So keep that in mind.

The registration process is a bit of a hassle too, but I got it done in 2 days. However, like G, I wouldn’t like to be without a car either. I mean you can live here without a car, I know people who live here without one, but the truth is that there are so many places to go and so many things to do around the island that in all honesty you may miss out on many things around the island.

Rincon is great! It’s very nice and there is quite a few people from the states there. It rains a lot though, afternoon thunderstorms are extremely common in that area, especially from April through October. The surf over there is very nice as well. I would choose Rincon over Aguadilla. The Aguadilla airport is “OK”, there are some JetBlue flights to and from that airport but they are a bit more expensive and to not as many locations as San Juan. I would drive to San Juan, not fly, $700 for a 15 minute flight is ridiculous. It’s better to endure the 2-2.5 hr drive with a few tolls. Driving can be hectic here but it’s not THAT bad, it just takes some getting used to.

Here are some listings I found in Rincon for under $600 with utilities included (one of them even includes internet)

Hello Jay,
I’m here! I could use a little help. I would like to email you, which I’ve seen you sugg9throughout this site, but I don’t see how to do that. in need of a trustworthy agent,and some advice. I also read on your site that you are a massage therapist. I could use that too!!! Where are you located? I have a car.
Thank you!

Yes I am a nationally certified massage therapist! As far as contacting me privately, most people either email me through our facebook page or they email me at “webmaster at newtopuertorico dot com” (sorry I get too much spam).

I will be happy to refer you to a good real estate agent and of course we can talk about massage! I travel with my table to people’s location.

If you don’t want to be near San Juan, check out Aguadilla. There is an airport with service to SJ. Almost everyone near the area speaks English as there is a military base there and a couple of large US companies. There is also a large community of ex-pats in the Rincon area which is beautiful. You need to make sure you can get good internet service, You will need a car.. buy one as soon as you can, rentals and taxes are expensive. Here’s a local realtor… he mostly sells homes but can help find you a rental. He speaks English, tuksarealtypr.com

Hi G,
Do you live in PR now?
Thank you for the very practical and helpful advice. I am going to look into living outside of San Juan based on your recommendations above, particularly Rincon. Google maps says it’s about 2.5 hour drive from Rincon to Guaynabo where the DOL office is. Do you think that’s about right? I saw flights from Aquadillo to SJ are $700+ round trip & take all day. Seems like driving is the only way to go based on the numbers. Is that accurate? Can you drive for a lot less? Are there good reasons not to drive?

Hello Jay. We are moving to PR in the next couple of months. I have 101 questions 🙂 But before bombarding you with so many, I read that you know realtors that you can recommend. Please. I am moving with two small children, and the main concern is finding a safe rental home for them. I appreciate any help you can offer. I am SO lucky to have found this website! Thank you for all your time that you have offered to many.
Mil gracias,
Alejandra

Thank you Jay! We are moving to Arroyo, but looking around there, like Guayama. >> I just realized that my husband, Pablo (see below) also found you…haha. We appreciate your prompt response and of course your time 🙂

Well, unfortunately, the Real estate agent that has been most helpful works only the San Juan metro. However, I found 2 listings here that should give you an idea of what you will be looking at. The site is in Spanish but the agent’s contact info is on the upper right corner of the site. You can call each of them and see if they speak English, unless you speak Spanish, then it doesn’t really matter.

Hello Jay,
I am moving to Puerto Rico in June for my dental residency, and I will be working at Centro de Salud Familiar in Arroyo. I have been trying to make a good decision about where is a good and safe location for renting because I am moving with my wife and my two little ones. I got to say that I am so thankful to have found you. Your information is very helpful and honest. I was wondering if you have any information about how safe Arroyo or Guayama are, or if you know any other place close to Arroyo? My main concern is safety and not having a long commute because I want to be close to my family. My wife and I have questions about our move which will be in June or July. I don’t want to overwhelm you with so many questions at once, but I do thank you for your time.
Best Regards!

First let me put you at ease, Arroyo and Guayama are not known for their terrible crime! They are pretty rural areas with lots of open spaces, especially Guayama. It rains more in Arroyo than Guayama, but Guayama is actually one of our driest and warmest municipalities.

When looking for a place to rent, you want to try and look for places that simply look nice. If I were you, I’d also ask the local police officers. What locations do they normally see the most criminal activity?

Both Arroyo and Guayama are considered “humble” municipalities, more “country” type as opposed to city-like. There are less shops and activities than the San Juan metro, and they are not nearly as densely populated as the San Juan area.

Any of those places in the southeast should be fine, the further south you go the drier and hotter while the further east you go the rainier and “cooler” (not by much). Nearby Salinas is pretty nice and the water park at the “Albergue Olimpico” there is nice for the kids. Also the southeast has some pretty nice beaches as well. The truth is that you really can’t go wrong with any of those areas unless you are on a really sketchy area, which you will know right away if you are in one. I’m actually more concerned that you’ll get bored more than anything else. But if I had to choose, I would look at Arroyo first, it is simply because it has a bit more rain, it gets too hot otherwise. However, if you were allergic to mold for example then Guayama is a better choice. But I don’t think that any one area really is safer than the other except for maybe in and around a few sketchy areas here and there.

Do make sure that you are up to date with your hurricane preparedness though! Normally tropical cyclones come from the east so make sure you pay attention to the National Weather Service and their watches and warnings!

Feel free to ask me more specific questions on our Facebook page or in the newly released forum!

I recently got a job in Aguadilla with Honeywell and am looking for an immediate place to stay. Furnished would be nice. I can’t afford expensive hotels. Do you have anyone that can help me find something immediately? I will be there May 2, 2015.
thank you very much!

Hello Gina! Congratulations on the job! That’s awesome! The person I normally recommend works the San Juan area, however I do have friends that live in those parts of the island. I’ll contact them to see if they know a reliable person to work with!

In the meantime, try contacting this person, this is a furnished 1bed-1bath for $525 in Aguadilla. Send me an email in the Facebook account or use the forum or to the webmaster account if the person in the link doesn’t work out.

Your site has wonderful information for those of us who are considering making a move from the mainland. I do have a few questions and some concerns that I hope you can take the time to answer though.

I hear the job market is treacherous. How hard will I have to search for a job? And should I be expecting it to be more difficult to find work if I don’t speak Spanish? Also, would we need any special documents to work in PR?

We are considering Mayaguez. What areas should we avoid when looking for housing? We want to be close to the university as we both would like to continue our education and finish our degrees.

Well, your concerns are legitimate, and unfortunately I can’t tell you that everything is great when it isn’t. However the situation is not hopeless, it’s just difficult.

The job market really is bad, there’s no way to say it isn’t. It is worse for those don’t speak Spanish, especially for those jobs that require you to be in contact with the general public. Also, when you work in an office or location where everyone else speaks Spanish, do not expect people to speak English. It’s nothing against you or anyone else, it just comes out like that, it’s like me asking you to talk to your mom or dad in Spanish, it’s just not going to happen. For some reason most people have this terrible fear that we are speaking in Spanish because we may be talking about them. I don’t know why the fear, it’s not something we do. But anyway, not knowing Spanish is a major limitation. I do know people who have jobs and don’t speak Spanish, they normally work for the Federal Government, high executives for large stores, self employed, or work as researchers or something relating to higher education. So there are some options, but if I were you I’d try hard to learn some Spanish. I hear the app Duolingo is pretty good.

Special documents to work here? Don’t think so. Working here is like working in the USA, so as long as you are a US citizen you should be fine. You may need a birth certificate or some sort of proof that you are a US citizen, maybe the SSN card or something. Some places require a “good conduct” certificate which is basically a certification from the police saying that you have not been convicted of crimes and that you are “clean”, some places may ask for drug testing. But not all employers will require so much, you should be fine.

Most of the jobs, especially with opportunities for English-only speakers are mainly in the San Juan Metro. There’s a big marketing company called Target Marketing. They have many job opportunities at the moment, but they are located in Guaynabo. The department of Labor and Human Resources posts a monthly “job opportunity” announcement on their website. This month of April they advertised 680 job openings posted by 80 companies. You can look at it here.

So check every month and see what they have, check also the local newspapers for job openings.

Mayagüez is a college town. There’s no real area to “avoid”, I mean depending on what you don’t like. The housing near the campus is quite crowded and there are many people living in the houses nearby so it may get loud at times and that sort of thing with a bunch of college-age people. But I guess the stereotypical way of looking at it is that most people say to avoid living close to bars or clubs, maybe avoid being close to housing projects or public housing; but that’s a very stereotypical way of looking at it, I have not met anyone who have had problems in Mayagüez because of where they live. Except I would in fact avoid being close to bars and nightclubs.

The education there is top notch by the way, and cheap! It’s hard to get accepted there depending on your desired degree, I applied and I think they laughed or spat on my application and shredded it! LOL Part of the reason why I had to go to the US and pay an outrageous amount for education was bc my 3.43 high school GPA and my 1160 SAT and 1325 College board (Local test) DID NOT cut it for UPR Mayagüez or Rio Piedras!

So in summary, I don’t want to discourage you from coming over and studying here and finding work. But it WILL be hard, especially if you do not know Spanish. But, like I said, I do know people who have found a way to make a living without speaking Spanish, but it wasn’t easy. For the majority of them, they’ve felt the work has been well worth it, and if you plan on going to UPR Mayagüez let me tell you one thing. I work in an office with 24 other professionals, most of them graduated from UPR, only 2 of us went to the US to study. Guess who has to pay student loans for 15+ years and who doesn’t. Yep, none of my coworkers who went to UPR have student loans, not a single one. While those loans give me nightmares and have literally kept me up at night.

It is scary to start new somewhere else. I moved a few times not knowing anything or anyone. At least to me, when I moved, I had to dig down and really get things done. I found I was much more capable of doing things that I thought I was. Also, most people later regret not doing something compared to actually trying it and giving themselves an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone.

I wish you the best and please do keep me posted!

Also, I invite you to join the forum I just uploaded. It is new so there’s little to nothing there but I would like to start a support community for those who are thinking or currently live in PR! Just introduce yourself or something! Take Care!

My husband and I are planning a move to San Juan, pending my acceptance to the U of PR for grad school. He will only be joining me half time (about 2 weeks per month) as he runs a business here in the US that will need his attention as well.

I was wondering what area you would recommend for me, a young 26 year old female, that would be safe for the times that my husband is not in town. I am thinking an actual condo building given the security presence and secure parking garages. We like the OSJ, Condado, Isla Verde, and Carolina areas but are not sure what is the safest. We do have a dog that will need to be walked (at times in the dark) by me when my husband is not there.

We liked all the areas mentioned above, but did feel that there were “sketchy” areas and sketchy people in each neighborhood. We do want to be by the beach (isn’t that what they all say? Haha). And I do mean BY the beach- willing to pay the extra money for this luxury.

Also, I really hope you get accepted to UPR! It is relatively cheap, and it does produce reliant, self motivated students. I had to go to the US to go to college because I didn’t get accepted at UPR, now I’m drowning in student loan debt! So I really hope you get in!

Ok, So as far as where to live, there are several things to consider. Will you have a car and will you drive yourself to school? If not, maybe you should consider living somewhere close to the train route since there is a train station right at the UPR campus (I’m assuming you are going to Rio Piedras campus). However, those areas near the train route are NOT near the beach.

But, based on the places you mentioned, I would scratch Old San Juan. Too many sketchy areas for a single girl, did you read my post on Living in Old San Juan?

So that leaves Isla Verde and Condado. I prefer condado, but a particular section of Isla Verde may work for you. As far as Condado goes, the reasons I like it is because there is a lot to do and is full of restaurants, night life, and even a “health food” store called Freshmart. There is also a small fenced in dog park. There are beaches at each end of the Condado area so you can look for something close to the beach if you’d like. However, there is a lot of concrete everywhere so you’ll have to look for areas for your dog to go potty. Depending on where in Condado you choose to live, you may find lots of people around when you go walk your dog, even at night. I actually have a very close female friend who is in her mid-20s, has a dog she walks in the wee hours of the night, and lives by herself. She loves it there.

Isla Verde I find to have a few more sketchy areas than Condado. Not to mention that there is a huge housing project very close to that area which I wouldn’t want to be around in the dark if I were a young girl. There are more options for living right on the beach than Condado, but I don’t find it as nice as Condado as far as being safe at night and walking around, it’s not bad though, Condado just has a lot more people outside walking/running so I feel a bit safer. Having said this, there is a complex in Isla Verde called Pine Grove. This is a gated community with small apartment buildings very close to hotels like the Ritz Carlton and far from the housing project. If I were to live in Isla Verde, I would consider this complex. It has grassy areas for the dogs, it is gated so it is safer to be out at night within the grounds of the apartment complex and it is literally just steps from the beach and it also has a pool; downside though, it is right next to the airport. Airplanes fly in and out late at night and early in the morning, which may disturb some people but in all honesty, people get used to it. I would recommend you give this Pine Grove complex a look as I think it would meet most if not all of your needs.

So let me know if you are ready to move forward, I do know people who live or have lived in all those places and can get you more info on any apartments for rent in the area. Click here to see a map of where Pine Grove is (I think some people have posted pictures).

If you have more specific questions, which you would not prefer to be in the public eye, feel free to email me at the webmaster account or our Facebook page.

Thank you, Jay, for the very helpful information. We do plan to buy a car when we arrive. I should have mentioned we are open to renting or buying a condo.

Also, the campus is the medical science campus, which is in the same area as the large group of hospitals, where the UPR med school is as well.

Condado does sound like the safer option, thank you for the input. We looked at one condo for sale in the Atlantis building between Condado and OSJ right near El Escambron beach. Would you consider that a safe area, or is Condado safer?

Again, I thank you! Everyone we have met from PR has been so kind, helpful, and welcoming. Definitely makes the transition easier and the move more desirable!!

I also meant to ask if car dealerships offer leases in PR. I tried to research online but could not find a Jeep dealership that advertised it. Is this not a common thing there? Grad school is 3 years, which is the length of a standard car lease, so that seems to be a good option for us.

I believe they do offer leases yes. I’m not sure how exactly the lease program works because a friend of mine leased a car for 2 years, another leased one for 4 years, and I remember one time, a company called “Popular Leasing” sent me a flyer saying that I could lease a car for a period of 12 to 60 months. So it may work a bit differently here but I’m honestly not 100% sure.

Jeep dealers? There’s one at Kennedy Avenue in San Juan called “Alberic”. I think there’s another one in Carolina in the “Los Colobos” sector and one in Bayamon, but I can’t remember their names.

I think a Jeep is a good choice for a car here in PR. Many coworkers of mine have Jeeps mainly Wrangler or Cherokee.

Hope this helps!

P.S. Remember, if you need more details and don’t want to post it in a comment for the public to see, feel free to ask us through Facebook or an email to our webmaster account. =)

Atlantis is actually pretty nice. I’ve ran a couple of races that go past it and I’ve always felt that Atlantis would be a place I wouldn’t mind living, it must have an amazing view out of the balcony! In terms of safety, the truth is that I can’t think that Condado itself would be a better choice most of the time, except for late at night simply because Condado would likely have more people outside so it’s generally safer in that regard. But you know, use common sense, if something doesn’t feel right then don’t go there; and that goes regardless of where you live.

Also, if you in fact get accepted at the med school here, let me tell you, you will be getting a top notch education. I’m not exaggerating. I have seen first hand the quality of competent doctors that graduate from here. The med school here is truly as good as any other, and people should consider it a privilege to study here. The campus is next to “Centro Medico” which is a trauma center that gets lots of action, people get flown in from all over the Caribbean to be seen there. Also, the med school recently got a really high tech MRI machine which is the most advanced MRI machine in the Caribbean and Latin America. So, I would be ecstatic if I got accepted at UPR med school.

I’m glad you’ve found us to be welcoming, kind and helpful. I like to think that we are that way naturally, I always felt that people were nice to me but “at a distance” when I lived in the states, not so here. There are definite drawbacks and idiosyncrasies about living here, but the people and actually the doctors are a big reason why we love it here. Please let me know if there is anything I can do, I mean if I have to go get you both at the airport I will try hard to be able to get you and your husband.

Take Care

P.S. If you do move to Atlantis, you MUST send me a picture of your view from the balcony! LOL

Wow, thank you again for the great reply! You are so kind to say you would pick us up at the airport! I will not forget your generosity but we should be ok, will probably rent a car when we arrive until we are able to buy:) I should hear back from my graduate application around the beginning of May, and I really hope to be accepted so we can proceed with our move! If accepted, we will move at the end of July so I can start school mid-August.

It’s actually not medical school that I am applying to, it is just right near there so I was using that so explain the area. The program is similar, though. It is called Master in Nurse Anesthesia- providing anesthetic during surgical cases, like a doctor of anesthesiology would. So it is at La Escuela de Enfermeria of UPR which is right across from the med school 🙂 I am very excited to study at all the high level medical centers in PR, especially the heart center!

Whenever my husband and I travel, especially to warm, island places, we always like to rent Jeep Wranglers as our rental car. They are so fun to drive! So when we move, that is what we want to buy or lease. I’m glad to hear you say that is a good choice!

By the way, the Atlantis view WAS amazing. Ocean view from every front window! I will definitely send you a picture if we move there!

Oh wow! If I remember correctly that program only accepts 12 students or so! It’s a very small program with a very direct interaction with the instructors. I mean correct me if I’m wrong but I think it it very small, which is a really good thing. Oh I hope you get in! I can’t imagine it being very easy to get into!!! Fingers crossed!!!

As far as the car goes, the Jeep Wrangler would be good. It would come in VERY handy if you get the chance to visit “Playa Sucia” in Cabo Rojo! Remember I told you this if you get to go! =)

Yeah I’ve always been a fan of nice views. I really like having coffee in the morning and having a great view! BTW, if you drink coffee, do not waste your money with Starbucks or others like it. Always go to the small local coffee shops, the local coffee is FAR SUPERIOR to the commercial stuff, especially the “café con leche”. Trust me on this. If you however are not a coffee drinker, I suggest you do not drink the local coffee because you will become a coffee drinker LOL.

Hello
I once lived aboard a boat in Roosevelt Roads, near Fajardo, in Puerto Rico for 18 months. I now may have an opportunity to be located in Puerto Rico for employment. ** I would need to be within short distance (45 minutes including traffic) from Luis Munoz Marin Airport). Looking for a quiet neighborhood, small home or town house preferred.** What neighborhood would you recommend? I speak some Spanish (time to practice!), my husband will learn, and one of our closest friends who lives abroad is from Puerto Rico, so I will have “extended family” to help if we are lucky enough to make the move.

Well it really depends on what your definition of “Quiet Neighborhood” is. The truth is that the San Juan Metro area is so densely populated that it is difficult to find a “quiet neighborhood” per many people’s standards, maybe not PR standards but lots of people that come from other countries find the San Juan area anything but quiet.

Also, what times will you be going to the airport? I ask because depending on the time, the traffic is heavy in one direction or the other.

But the quietest areas would be the outskirts of the metro area, however this puts you at risk of encountering traffic if there is a car accident on your way to the airport. Also, there is the fact that the further away you are from San Juan, the further out you are from anything like decent grocery stores, “health” food stores, modern restaurants, and a higher density of English-speakers. But, there is Rio Grande and Canovanas, maybe Luquillo, which are relatively quiet to the east of San Juan. There’s also the town of Dorado, which is quite nice and kind of “up and coming” with good restaurants expanding in that direction and some big stores. Problem with any of these places is that the traffic can be downright brutal to and from San Juan, especially for Dorado; not so much for Rio Grande and Canovanas because Route 66 (tollway) takes you to the San Juan area fairly quickly, however you do pay a few tolls so it may add up.

I would not recommend going to southern Caguas or Gurabo, the traffic is beyond anything I care to experience, unless you travel during off-peak times, plus it rains more the closer you get to the mountains.

Great site! Lots of great info! Me and my wife are coming down the first week of April to check it out as we are seriously considering moving there in May or June.

We are newly married. She’s 29 and I’m 31.
We’re over the nightlife lifestyle and are more into the outdoorsy activities.
We’re coming from San Diego.

I know the humidity will take some getting used to.

We’ve done a lot of research and I’ve looked on the classified websites.
It seems that Dorado would be a good fit for us and the community of Dorado Del Mar looks like it would be in our price range. We like that it’s close to the beach and gated.
Do you have any concerns with that community?

I’m in finance and I hear a lot of the finance guys are in the Dorado area so seems like some good networking there. Is that the case.

Well in all honesty I don’t have a problem with Dorado, with the exception that traffic towards and from San Juan could be downright brutal. But Dorado itself is nice, and it is growing. I really don’t have anything bad to say.

Thanks for the very informative website! I have a question about Old San Juan. My husband and I recently visited OSJ, and fell in love with the cobblestone streets and colonial buildings. We love the idea of walking to El Morro with our pup, eating int the outdoor cafes, and walking for most of our needs. OSJ felt very safe as well (something very important to us).

We are considering making the move to PR. (we currently live one island over in St. Thomas). I have seen a lot of recommendations for living in the Condado area, but am not finding much information about OSJ. We are thinking of renting until we buy something, and keeping a car in a lot. I wonder what your thoughts are on living in OSJ, and why there isn’t more info on that area in general? Are there certain cons that I haven’t considered?

Hello! Thank you for all the useful information. My husband and I vacationed to PR recently and loved it. We would like to move down there for about a year before our kids start school. We have a 2 year old and a 4 year old. My husband is applying for jobs, he is a computer programmer. None of us know much Spanish. Very basic, but we are practicing! I’m hoping you can help me figure out where to look for a house or apartment to rent. We would like it to be 3 bedrooms and under $1k per month. We also want to be close to the beach and live in a very safe neighborhood where we would be welcomed! Most likely my husband will be working from home or in San juan. Thank you!

First of all, it is likely that you will be welcomed regardless of where you live in PR, so that really should not be a major concern. However you may find that people are afraid to speak in English so knowing Spanish is a pretty big deal, although I do know people who have lived here for many years and still don’t speak Spanish.

As far as a place to live, did you check clasificados online? How close to the beach are you looking for?

I’m assuming you want to live in or close to San Juan. The thing is that the closer to the beach the more expensive it gets, so if you will have a car and a 15-minute commute to the beach is not a big deal, but still in the metro and close to San Juan, then you can look at apartments in Carolina for example. The apartments in Escorial, if I were you, I’d avoid Portales de Escorial, however Terrazas de Escorial has a backup power generator which is handy during hurricane season plus it has elevators, so you can look there. There are other apartment complexes in the Escorial area in Carolina, you’d be close to the brand new Mall of San Juan, also about a 30 minute drive to the Luquillo Beach (my favorite as it has no waves and is great for kids), or about 15 minutes from the Isla Verde Beach (not bad but wavy so not great for little kids).

You can also look at other places near San Juan like Guaynabo. It is a bit farther from the beach (add about 15 minutes to the aforementioned beaches), but you may be able to find a 3bed/2bath apt for $800-$1000 in a gated community. Search for the Torrimar area in Guaynabo (Valles de Torrimar complex is next to a coast guard housing complex, very close to Costco and grocery sotres, gated with swimming pool and other extras).

If you need more specific help, send me a message on the FB page or an email to the webmaster account.

Clasificados Online is a pretty good website with lots of listings, there’s also Zillow.com they are *ok* as far as number of listings but their website is much cleaner and nicer. You may have to search by municipality or town and search for listings that say that they are near the beach. Are they moving to San Juan? If so usually the Isla Verde or Condado area are popular places for young couples to move to, and they are near the beach.

Hi there! My husband, 4 year old and myself are wanting to move to PR in the next few months. We visited last year and stayed in Aguadilla and fell in love with the island! I currently work for a non-profit that has open positions in PR. We do not speak any English but are not opposed to learning. We visited many cities during our vacation last year and didnt run into many problems not knowing Spanish. What are your thoughts on good safe areas for my family to move to? I loved Aguadilla and Rincon but if I transferred with my current organization they are located in Arecibo. What are your thoughts on Arecibo? Also…any input you could give me on schools for my daughter would be great!

So first of all, I highly recommend you learn Spanish, at least some. It was not an issue when you came to visit but it’ll become an issue when you move and have to deal with the local government offices and all the little details of moving and living here. It’ll become especially important if you have an emergency and need to contact 911, trust me on this one, you can see my post on 911 experience in Puerto Rico if you’d like.

As far as to where to live, honestly it depends on whether you want to be in an urban area full of houses, a condo, or more of a rural place. For example, Barceloneta is a pretty quiet town, fairly rural but has some newer housing complexes. There’s a nice outlet mall with movie theaters and is fairly close to Arecibo, there’s also a Walmart and Sams there now {Sorry no Costco, and Target is still not present in PR :'( } I would personally look at Barceloneta, but it is because I don’t like the crowds too much, and some other towns around that area are a bit crowded for me. There’s also a rather rural town called Florida. Both of those are east of Arecibo. To the west of Arecibo, there’s Hatillo west to Qebradillas, those towns and the ones in between are relatively quiet as well. Arecibo per se is not bad, it’s just kind of *OK*. It has been hit hard recently with a poor economy and many areas reflect the financial hit. So if I were you I’d first look at the nearby towns to the east of Arecibo. Which brings me to the next topic, schools.

Ok, so if you can afford it, I would put your daughter in a private school. I would make every sacrifice to make this happen too. Not that the public school are that bad, it’s the system itself that I personally don’t care for. Since I can’t afford private schooling, I’m actually going to home-school my kids, but many parents don’t have the luxury nor the desire to do so. So, in terms of public schools, any of them will be pretty similar, you may have to ask around the area there for more trade or vocational schools if that’s what you want. However, in the nearby town of Manatí, to the east of Arecibo, there is a private school called “Piaget Bilingual Academy”. They are known for being very accepting of every person no matter their age, sex, religion, race, etc. Not that there’s really a problem here regarding any of that, but what I’m trying to say is that it is a school that focuses on education for the sake of educating not based on any religious affiliations or beliefs. Plus it’s bilingual, here’s a link to their website: http://www.piagetbilingualacademy.net/?id=welcome

Now if you are in fact looking for a school with a Christian base, there is “Colegio Maristas” (Catholic) also in Manatí, and there’s “Capitan Correa” (Evangelical) in Hatillo, west of Arecibo. Those 3 schools are known in the area for being very good.

Hi,
I love your website and have found so much great info! I am moving to PR at the end of March. I want to be on the west side of the island, Cabo Rojo, Rincon, but I’m not positive where exactly. I love the vibe Cabo Rojo seems to offer but I am open to other options. I am single and will be on a tight budget as far as my housing goes. I am interested in finding a 1-2 bedroom furnished ( at least partially ) as well as utilities. I don’t really know Spanish but I am trying to pick up the basics. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Rincon and Cabo Rojo are actually not too far, so you should be able to live in either one and visit the other toy your hearts content! Rincon’s beaches tend to be more on the wavy side, so they are frequented by surfers, Cabo Rojo on the other hand has much calmer waters. So if there’s a type of beach you prefer then you can keep that in mind.

Rincon is a place with a lot of people from the US, so there’s English everywhere. You will have better luck finding other people that speak English in Rincon that you will in Cabo Rojo, either one should be fine though, it’s just that there are some sectors in Rincon that are predominantly English speakers.

Have you tried Duolingo? It’s pretty neat if you want to learn Spanish, and it’s free!

So if I were you I’d go to Rincon for its English-speaking population density, but if Cabo Rojo has a much cheaper place to live then I’d chose Cabo Rojo. It rains more in Rincon too. But honestly you can’t go wrong with either one.

I just wanted to say thank you for the great information you gave me a few weeks ago. I absolutely love Duolingo, it is making learning spanish fun and easy! I have set my sights on Cabo Rojo and I cant wait to arrive!

Dear Webmaster, I am thinking strong on moving to PR in a couple of years when I retire. Social Security is all I’ll have regularly. I’m just sick and tired of cold winters and cannot afford to simply move to Florida. I have been looking as best I can at furnished studio or 1 bedroom apartments with all utilities included. Is hope of finding such a unit for $600 a month impossible? I see a lot for $450 – $600 but find it kinda hard to believe. If and when I make the move I intend to stay in a hostel in San Juan for a couple of weeks while I look for a short term lease, and then decide if I like it well enough to stay permanently. I will not be moving house hold goods, just clothes, laptop and a cell phone. I am a single male. Am I crazy?

No you are not crazy. I do have a co-worker who lives in a small apartment and that’s all he has, he doesn’t even have a car. Is it easy? Not at all. If you’ve never been here I think it is a good idea to visit a few weeks before you decide. However I must tell you that this is not Florida, or like any other US state for that matter. Things are different here. Where you live, what you have nearby, and what you like all play a role on how you’ll like it.

Like you, I got tired of long cold winters, I like it here quite a bit, but I’m pretty laid back kind of guy, otherwise I might have left already.

Very good and honest “help” site! Wife and I are planning visit to PR mid 2015.
We are intending to become permanent residents “somewhere” in PR. We are mature, healthy, and the choices you’ve given in this super website leaves us
deciding initially to focus on either Rincon area or area out of downtown starting with a “B” but with heavy traffic to the Old SJ. Wife is bilingual Latina and Yo hablas little Spanish! May start with a 1 bdrm and graduate to 2 bedroom when we settle on where is best for us to live. Your Isla Verde/Condido sounds enticing as well. Sounds like the weather and lifestyle is attractive in Rincon for us? But it also from comments above is “short” on stores for basic supplies (i.e. Costco)?
What part of your Island is most damaged in storm season? Is the newly planned airport on west end in operation?

The town you are referring to outside of downtown may be “Bayamón”? There is some traffic between San Juan and Bayamón during rush hour.

Rincón is a lot slower pace type of town, and some sectors of Rincón has a decent number of people from the US. However like you said, there are not as many stores. Costco? Nope, not in Rincón, that would almost be a deal breaker for me! LOL

However San Juan is not only a lot more densely populated but there is a lot more to do and life if a lot more hectic in San Juan.

The Aguadilla airport is gaining a lot of popularity lately and there are flights between Aguadilla and the US (Mainly Florida and New York via Jet Blue).

As far as storms go, normally the most affected parts are the eastern sections of PR, but not always! In 1996, hurricane Hortense was a direct hit and it came in from the south, affecting Ponce and exiting through western PR, just about everything in the island was hit really hard, but mainly due to catastrophic flooding to the north and west of Ponce, so basically 3/4 of mainland Puerto Rico. Then in 1998 Hurricane Georges went straight through Puerto Rico from east to west, hitting everything really hard, but the mountainous sections of PR arguably had the most damage. Every other recent storm has hit eastern PR the hardest, but mainly due to rainfall, most of our houses are made out of concrete, so structural damage to those houses are not that common, but the flooding is the most dangerous part. However the wooden houses, normally present in the poorer parts of PR, tend to suffer quite a bit. Rincón doesn’t normally get hit too hard with hurricanes, but it does get quite a bit of thunderstorms in the summer.

Hi Jay,
I could possibly be moving to Puerto Rico by late February and have read your wonderful, descriptions on locations. However, if all goes as planned I will be working at the new mall under construction (The Mall of San Juan) and was wondering if you have any other suggestions as to where to live. I’m visiting this month and staying at one of the hotels in Carolina. Wanted to check out the area.

Well that’s awesome! The Mall of San Juan is starting to look really nice! I drove past it just the other day and I was surprised as to how well the construction seems to be going!

Where to live if you work there? Well there are a few options depending on what you are looking for and your budget.

I’m assuming you are single and have a dog, also assuming you are fairly young. I would recommend the Condado area. Why? Well, there’s lots to do, beaches within walking distance or short drive/bike ride. There is also a free dog park, albeit probably not as amazing as some that I have seen in the US, but nevertheless, it’s a little park called “Condado Pet Park”, which it’s free and fenced. Plus, it’s pretty close to the mall. However, the mall is on the other side of the San Jose Lagoon, there is a long bridge “Puente Teodoro Moscoso” that would take you right to the mall, but it currently costs $3.35 each way! You can go around the lagoon through Carolina, but that would take longer, sometimes quite a bit longer when traffic is bad, so maybe plan for going around the lagoon except on days when you are running late or the traffic is horrendous.

Isla Verde would be another area for young people with lots going on, actually a bit closer to the mall but still on the wrong side of the lagoon, and further from the dog park.

Want something on the “right” side of the lagoon? Well, I wouldn’t recommend anything nearby on that side to be honest. At least not immediately close by, you’ll have to go back a bit behind the mall south to Trujillo Alto in order for me to recommend an area for a young single woman.

Want something more “suburban”? There are residential areas or buildings with condos or “walk-ups” (that’s how we call them because they have no elevators, with usually no more than 4 floors). Carolina has several in an area called “Escorial”, traffic can get really bad there when it rains hard due to poor drainage in some areas. Although to be honest, many areas in PR have drainage problems, it rains a lot here, Tropical island after all.

Anyway, there are also other dog parks, none that are really all that spectacular except one in Guaynabo called Superdogs Universe Pet Park at DeVarona, but you have to pay for that one, $3.50 per day per dog something like that. It is quite nice though.

Does this help? Let me know or send me an email to the webmaster account if you have more specific questions! Happy New Year!

Hi Jay,
I posted before but I wanted to give you a little more information about myself. I’m moving to PR at the end of January for work and I’m trying to find an apartment to rent in Ponce or surrounding areas. Anywhere in the south really. Would you know an agent or someone who could help me with this? Also, I’m looking to buying a car. ideally I would like to lease but i doubt i could find a year and a half lease.
I’m pretty lost in looking for a place.
Thanks
Jen

Looking for a furnished apartment in Luquillo 1 bedroom preferred with sat tv and wifi. 6 to 12 month lease and reasonably priced less then $700 a month. I did see a listing for a 1 bedroom Condo @ Luquillo Oceanside Apartments for $600 a month with Extra Realty handling the listing,, then talked to the Realtor and he says no he can’t help me. That it’s not possible. He’s not the person I need to talk to. LOL! Retiring and liquidating my assets in Southern Illinois and looking for a nice area to rent/lease for a year. Any suggestions?

Jay do you have any information on renting a 3 bedroom or more dwelling in the Rincon area..My wife and I visited the Island and had the priveledge to stay on the Western part of the island in which we both fell in love with.
Also would like to know does the West side of the island have an attraction for destination weddings?

Destination weddings. Well There’s one hotel in Rincon called “Rincon of the Seas” and they do have things ready for wedding there. However I cannot recommend that place. It’s not bad but it’s not that good either, it’s well, it’s OK, i wouldn’t go back. But of course you looks at it yourself and make your decision.

If I were you, I would consider “Rincon Beach Resort”, which is actually in Añasco, just south of Rincon. They also have destination wedding service and packages.

I actually got married at the Copamarina Resort in Guanica, but I actually liked the Rincon Beach Resort better, I ended up at Copamarina for other reasons, still beautiful though.

I also have a contact for an agency the specializes in destination weddings here in PR. If you are interested I can put you in contact with them, just let me know and I’ll send them an email.

I am moving to puerto rico in about 2 weeks and I have no clue where to begin. As of now I do not have a place to stay. I will be landing in Aguadilla Airport. I was looking for housing in San Sebastian but no luck searching through these websites. Any way you can direct me to someone who can assist me over the phone? I want to have a place I can go to once I land. Hope to hear from you soon!

Hello Masany: I’m surprised you haven’t found a place. I did do a quick search for you in San Sebastian in the “Clasificados online” website. For rent up to $200 per month, I don’t know what your budget is. I found a few houses for rent in San Sebastian.

I think finding a job here really depends on what kind of job you are looking for. Being bilingual is always a plus, assuming you are bilingual en English and Spanish and not English and French or German for example.

Knowing both English and Spanish is particularly important in Rincón as there are many people from the US there, and also in the San Juan metro area.

Ponce is nice. It’s rather hot, but relatively dry compared to other parts of the island, it doesn’t rain as much. It does have the basic needs for a place to live but you won’t find as many options or places to go and things to do compared to the San Juan area. Having said that, you can do a lot more outdoor stuff around Ponce compared to San Juan since it is not as densely populated. Also, since it doesn’t rain as much, it is normally a place people with mold allergies move to since there is less of it. Beaches are nice in the south since they are a lot calmer, if you want waves and surfing though you may need to go to the north-northwestern part of the island for the best surfing.

But living in Ponce is like living anywhere else here really with maybe a little bit less to do, less congestion but known for being HOT.

Having said that, mainly during the months of August and September, they have some of the best Quenepas (a.k.a. Spanish Limes)!!!! YUM! Make sure someone who knows about quenepas gives you some of the best ones to try!

With the crime situation of burglaries being so high, what do you suggest if someone plans to be gone, outside of PR, for 3-6 months of the year? Is there a place that someone could buy, and feel confident that their place won’t be burglarized, whether in a relative safe touristy area like Condado or anywhere else on the island? You see, I want to buy some property, but Im deeply concerned that leaving it unattended for 3-6 months will make an inviting target for thieves. Id preferably like to have my own home with my own yard, like I am accustomed to in the states, not a condo with monthly maintenance fees. Is it a stupid question, in that the risk would be too high, and instead of buying, I should just rent for 6-9 months while Im here every year? That way, once my lease ends, Im gone and I dont have to worry, since Ive moved out of that place? However, still Id like to buy my own place, if it can be done in an area that is known for being relatively safe against burglars, even when left unattended.

I saw some multi-family homes for $500,000-$600,000, thinking that I could buy it, live on 1 floor while Im there and rent out the 2 other floors to 2 separate people/families. Then while Im away in the states, it would still look lived in for the other 2 floors that are rented out, while my floor is locked up. Any suggestions for what I am seeking? I dont have to be in Old San Juan, Condado, Isla Verde or a tourist area. Most importantly, I want a safe area.

You have several options which only you can decide what’s best for you. BUT, there are a few things to consider.

Unfortunately there is crime everywhere. I live in a somewhat decent area, pretty average, and just yesterday I saw several teenagers stealing the little caps off the car’s tires. Not a big deal but still annoying. Having said that, I have a friend who lives in Europe, has a house here that she keeps locked but only visits for about a month per year and she has never had a single problem with anyone breaking in or anything. She pays a gardener in advance to take care of the lawn once a month and that’s it. I honestly have never felt “not safe” in my neighborhood.

Some people have home security systems. There are several companies here that install everything for free and you just pay the monthly fee. You can monitor everything using your smart phone. You can arm or disarm the house, see motion inside the house etc. Word of caution, we do have weak earthquakes from time to time, so the window shock sensors might give you a false alarm if there’s an earthquake, but like I said, minor earthquakes.

Get a good relationship with your neighbors. If you move to a residential area like a suburb, get to meet your neighbors and they’ll take care of you or alert you of any suspicious activity.

Research the classified ads for a house that you want. You’re going to have to dig in and look hard to find a house with a yard and everything that you like. The standards for a backyard here vs the states is different, space here is very limited so a decent backyard may be hard to find. Look for a gated community if you feel better, some if not most of those have security cameras that record every vehicle or person that walks in and out of the neighborhood.

Look outside of the main metro area, take a look at Dorado or the southern sections of the metro close to or in the mountains. But consider that traffic will be horrendous in and out of the metro at peak traffic times.

I’m moving to PR in Jan 2015 – curious where you think the best area for families to live is? I’d like to be walking distance to most things (schools, restaurants, beaches, etc..) and I don’t mind paying more for those privileges. I’ll only have a year in PR so I’d like to really experience the best.

Condado sounds nice. I’ll be staying at the St Regis in November to look at a few schools for my two kids, 5 and 3.

If you want to be that close to all those things, Condado might be the best place for you. However, the schools that are in that area are private and costly, so if you can afford them then that’s no problem but just keep that in mind. Also, there is a lot of action in that area, a lot of night life and it can sometimes be loud as outdoor activities with either DJ’s or live music are held occasionally, it doesn’t bother me personally but I know a lot of people who would prefer it to be quiet. It depends what you consider walking distance, but you may have to walk a little further to one place or the other. Take a look at Isla Verde as well although to be honest Condado has 2 excellent schools.

St Regis is really nice but quite a ways away from Condado.

Do you have to be in the San Juan area? If not, take a look at Rincón which is at the northwest corner of the island.

Hello I have moved to PR to attend UMET in Bayamon, I have found it a bit difficult to find an apartment t rent. Some areas look shady…even when they are asking for 800.00 a month, I am looking at all areas. San Juan, Condado, Guayanbo….Any suggestions I have been looking for a week now.

Well, I have to admit that I am partial to areas in Guaynabo and Condado. I always felt that Condado is more for a young single person who likes lots within walking distance such as restaurants, hangout spots, and now even a “health” grocery store. Condado is a busy place though, especially on the weekend nights.

If you are looking for a bit quieter place, I would recommend Guaynabo. Some areas I’d consider would be the Acqualina building on Road #2, Some apartments along road 199 (just watch out, it’s too close to a Krispy Kreme! LOL), also apartment complexes such as Valles de Torrimar which is off of road 177 next to a coast guard housing and just 2 minutes from Costco and a grocery store called Amigo; there is a school nearby though so there is traffic in the mornings.

Have you checked those places out? Look for them and see if it’s what you are looking for. Let me know if there is anything in specific you need.

Could you elaborate more on WHY Condado is best for singles? Is it because so many singles live in Condado already, so you should move there to have a higher chance of meeting other singles? Or is it to go there at night for the nightlife, because there are more businesses in Condado geared toward singles, such as bars, dance clubs, etc.?

“Well, I have to admit that I am partial to areas in Guaynabo and Condado. I always felt that Condado is more for a young single person who likes lots within walking distance such as restaurants, hangout spots, and now even a “health” grocery store. Condado is a busy place though, especially on the weekend nights. “

If you are looking for nightlife, Condado has places to go to, however I think Isla verde might be better. Condado is more of a “hangout” kind of place. They have the nightlife yes but I mainly like it because there are people everywhere. Now they have a “health” food store in the area and there are lots of restaurants as well. They occasionally have things like “food fests” and other activities outside like free movies outside at the “Ventana del Mar” (Window of the Sea), just bring your blanket and sit out in the grassy area there and watch the movie with the sea right there and a nice breeze.

Plus just about everything there is within walking distance, even a small beach, you can ride your bike too.

So I like it, and if I were single and wanted to meet people and “Hang out”, that’s the place I’d choose to live.

However if you want lots of nightlife and clubs, Isla Verde might be a better fit.

Thanks for the prompt and intelligent response. I see your point much better. I think its in part a better place to meet people because it is safer, prettier, and more upscale, so people feel more free and relaxed to interact with others. Its far more enjoyable to be there than in some of the unsafe and/or ugly areas of metro San Juan.

Right, and it’s the same with any other place, there are good things and bad things as well as good areas and bad areas. Condado is nice. Don’t like the noise and prefer a suburban feel, look at Guaynabo and then just hang out in Condado on the weekends, it’s not far at all.

When I made the move to Puerto Rico I looked into other areas besides San Juan. In the late 80’s I lived in St Thomas, USVI and made regular trips to San Juan because lets face it if you needed to do shopping San Juan is the place in this part of the world. I definitely caught island fever and was sad when my job took me back to the Midwest and I made up my mind to retire to the Caribbean. Even by the 80’s Florida was being priced out of range and even the USVI has a high cost because many from the Northeast corridor have vacation homes and in the late 80s a cheap studio apartment was running 600-700 plus utilities. As retirement time came close I started looking closely at Puerto Rico I really zeroed in on the western side of the island. In 2013 I came down for an extended stay to see if this was for me and rented a place in Aguada.I fell in love with this corner of Puerto Rico but the landlord I had in Aguada was less than honest and the first electric bill was higher than my rent (this is a 3 unit building) and I didn’t run A/C. My neighbors (who moved down here from the states the same time I did) came over and sat on the porch and lo and behold their electric bill was the same amount to the penny as mine. So the 4 of us went and looked where the meters were and there was only one meter for the entire building (the landlord lived upstairs). the next day we confronted her over it and I flat out showed her a copy of the electric bill and her lease and told her I’d be out and I would take her to court because this was illegal. Within 3 days I had located a place in Rincon and moved. In a way I have to thank her for being dishonest because I fell in love with Rincon. I live a mile from town in Barrio Pueblo up on a mountain and pay 400.00 a month and that includes electric, water, basic cable. All I pay for is my internet and cell and I have yet WANTED A/C up here because we have a constant breeze. Rincon (town only has 4500 people but it has a Key West vibe to it. Most everyone here is bilingual (still if you are going to live here you need to learn Spanish) and there is even one barrio where English is the first language. I prefer to live among locals. I posted before I haven’t locked my door here…..pretty much everyone in the sector I live in are related and we look out for each other. My landlord has the property planted with every imaginable fruit tree plus a HUGE veggie garden and tells his tenants (3 units) to eat whatever you want! Rent is reasonable over here and I’m 2 hours out of Metro San Juan and 20 miles from Mayaguez. Here, you are made to feel a part of the community and I’m 10 minutes tops from the beach. So If you are looking at Puerto Rico to live don’t forget to look at some of the other places like Rincon!

Hi John,
My husband and I are planning on move to Rincon area in Nov. We are in the process of looking for a place to live. Do you have any recommendations? Realtor or a good landlord perhaps?
We would really appreciate it!!

My husband and I are planning to move from NJ to Puerto Rico next year. We are both in mid – late 40’s and have no idea yet which part of PR to choose. Most likely we will be interested to buy either condo or a house. Just to mention, our Spanish is very basic, for now. Any recommendations greatly appreciated.

Hello Renee! Well the truth is that the best place for you will be greatly dependent on what is it that you want/need. Than San Juan area, in particular the Isla Verde and Condado (my favorite) area is full of tourists and therefore a lot more English is spoken there. However that comes at a cost, it’s not only more expensive but also there is a lot more going on, lots of parties, activities on the streets and things like that, not the quietest place.

If you would like to stay in the metro area, many people are moving to “Guaynabo City”, there’s a lot there and is more of the suburban type. However I must tell you that the metro area is VERY densely populated.

Just outside of the metro but still close enough, there’s an up and coming area near the town of “Dorado”. It’s a northern municipality and it is growing a lot, however getting into the metro and out of the metro into and from Dorado may be frustrating for those who hate traffic.

If you want more of the relaxing type of living close to the beach, you might want to consider “Rincón”. It’s on the northwest corner of the island and there are a lot of people from the states over there, but it is a slower pace of life, there’s no Costco nearby for example.

Thank you so much for this site and all of your research into living in PR.

My wife and I expect to move there between August – September of 2014 and live there about 18 months while I am managing a construction project in the Juana Diaz. We expect to live in or around the Juana Diaz – Ponce area. Can you recommend an English speaking landlord or person that can assist us in finding a house to rent?

Hello. We will be moving to Condado in the next month or so. I am interested in working with a realtor or landlord who speaks English. Can you pass along any contacts you may have. Thank you very much! By the way, great website. Very informative.

Hello,
I will be in S. J. this wed and plan to look for a apt. long term. I would love to work with a realtor who speaks some english, I just need a small(250.00-300.) place with area for plants, I have looked in SJ. earlier this year but am open to any area where I can walk to my needs.

Let me know if you have any ideas
Oh, I am a retired teacher but have no real problems with walk ups.
Thanks
M.

I’m moving in a few months- looking to be either in OSJ or Isla Verde. I would not be opposed to Ocean Park or Condado. Would love to have some reccos of some landlords who speak english. Ideally I would be interested in a Lease Option/Rent to Own-but right now, just in the starting stages of finding a place.

I contacted the person I knew had an apartment in Isla Verde but he rented it long term so I asked a friend of mine for a recommendation. Sometimes you can rent an apartment through a Realtor here, so if you don’t mind, would you allow me to contact that Realtor my friend recommended so I can make sure that she speaks English before I give you her information? Can I email you her info to your email address above if I feel she is adequate?